Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

I call these cookies, but don’t get crazy and think you are going to replace chocolate chip cookies with these healthy oatmeal cookies!  You know what, let’s stop all of the cookie talk and call them breakfast bites. But, tell your kids they are cookies. Maxwell lovesss them! Like, wishes he could eat ’em for every meal. They’re great for traveling, car snacks and even lunch on the go! I mean it’s just bananas and oats, y’all. You can have cookies for breakfast. You’re welcome! 

You can actually make these “cookies” with only 2 ingredients: Bananas and oatmeal. For the record, I never do that. I add in all kinds of goodies and they end up being 6-8 ingredient cookies. You really can’t mess them up.

The one basic rule that must be followed: 2 ripe bananas to 1 cup of oatmeal

Oh and don’t forget to pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

If you notice, my oatmeal is very fine. I use the chopper attachment on this contraption to chop up the oatmeal. I’ve made the cookies with and without chopping the oatmeal, both ways work. Chopping just seems to make it all stick together a little better.

Next, add in all of your mix-ins. If you like measurements, I can make some up, but I never measure anything but the oatmeal. Just sayin’. Here is what I usually add to the basic “dough”:

• 1/2 cup coconut (I usually by Bob’s Red Mill fine macaroon, unsweetened coconut. One bag will last me about 25 batches!)
• 2 tablespoons flax seed (I just dump in a few spoonfuls)
• 2 tablespoons of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• Cranberries or raisins (I typically don’t add them in the mix, just stick one on top of the cookies before I bake them. Maxwell loves to pick out the cranberry before he shoves the whole cookie in his mouth!)

Other goodies I’ve added in the past:

• Chocolate chips (They make everything better!)
• All kinds of nuts

Next, use a fork and mix it all up. Use your fork to mask the bananas into the oatmeal. It takes about 3 minutes to make your dough look like this:

Now, I’m lazy and don’t like to wash cookie sheets, so I’m a firm believer in tin foil. Cover the bottom of your cookie sheet in tin foil and then use your hands to make little dough balls. Then smush your balls with your hand and add a cranberry to the center! The cookies don’t spread so put them as close together as you can so that you fit them all on one cookie sheet. If you don’t use tin foil, be sure and grease your cookie sheet!

Hopefully, you paid attention above and your oven is preheated to 350 degrees! Stick the cookies in the oven for 11 minutes! Take them out, and let them cool on the pan. They don’t stick to the tin foil if you let them cool. 

And there you have it, 2 ingredient cookies! Well, that’s kind of a lie, but they are super healthy oatmeal cookies or uhh.. breakfast bites! Enjoy!